Curtain construction



1952 E. P. BlXER 2,605,830

CURTAIN CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov 6, 1951 25 Q25 .FIE- 5 IN V ENTOR. EDMOND P. BIXER ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1952 Y f STATES I CURTAIN CONSTEUQTION V Edmond P. Bixer, Shrewsbury, N. 'J., assignorto I Bartmann &'Bixer, Inc., NewYo'rk, N. Y., a. corporation of New York 7 pplication November 6, 195 1 Serial-hi0.255 ,llltivv r,

' 8 Claims. 01. 169- 348) I 1 This invention relates. to curtain construction, more particularly to curtains that'have ruiiled or gathered formations when operatively hung in place.

When it is desired to create a ruffled effect in a conventional curtain slidably suspended from a curtain rod, the entire curtain is manually pushed outwardly to cause the heading section to slide along the rod, thereby contracting the curtain and producing folds both in the heading and the'body of the curtain therebelow. Unless considerable caution and skill are employed in this operation, there results uneven fold formations, producing an unsightly effect; and to avoid thisundesirable condition it is generally necessary carefully tomanipulate both thecontracted heading and body portion so that all the separate folds will be of substantially equal proportions. Furthermore, the desired ruffled effects of thebody portion of such conventional curtains can only beobtained by a sliding and contracting movement of the curtain heading, thereby leaving a gap at the top of the window and reducing the curtain-framing effect where the heading has been contracted. d

It is primarily within the contemplation of my invention to provide a curtain construction in which rufiied or folded effects are produced in the body of the curtain, without the disadvantages above mentioned. More specifically, it is an object of my invention to enable a curtain suspended from a curtain rod or other support to have fold formations therein without the need to slidably move the curtain heading along its support. And in this aspect of my invention'it is a further object to enable all the separate fold formations to be of similar proportions, whereby a pleasing uniform effect is obtained, without the skill and effort that are required to produce similar uniformity in conventional'curtains.

It is another object of my invention'to provide a curtain having a shirred or ruflied heading in its fully extended position, and a body portion of predetermined fold effects when'the' heading 'isin said extended condition." In thisjaspect of my invention it isa further object toenable' said body portion to be maintained'in its folded condition, by means of a novel shirred backing which also serves. as a stiffening means for the shirred heading. [And it is'lwithin my contemplation to maintain jsaid backing in its shirred reinforcing condition sheetl'meanswhich serve the additional function of a cur tain rod pocket.

which is capable of ready. fabrication on a mass production basis.

c Other objects, features and advantages will appearfrom the drawings and the description hereinafter given. I v

-.;Referring to the drawings,

Figurelis a fragmentary front view'of a preferredform-of my inventiohQpbrtiOnsbeing removed for. clarity; I H v v Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of Figure 1, a portion being removed toshow the relationship between the front curtain .panel and backing sheet.

Figure 3 is a rear view o f'Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged semi-diagrammatic section of Figure 1 taken along line 44.

Figure 5 is an enlarged semi-diagrammatic section of Figure 1 taken along line 5-5, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged semi-diagrammatic section of Figure ltaken along line 66.

'In the form illustrated, the structure of my inventionincludes a front curtain panel I0 comprising a heading section II, abody section I2 and a top section [3. Disposed against and confronting the said heading section I I, and preferably atthe rear thereof, is the backing sheet I4,

said sheet comprising an upper portion I5, a lower skirt I 6 and, in the particular embodiment shown, an upper skirt [1. Secured to the said backing sheet I4, preferably at the rear thereof, is the elongated strip of substantially inelastic material I8, said strip being secured to the backmg sheet preferably by two lines of stitching I9 a and 20 adjacent the upper and lower edges 2 I and 22 thereof, respectively. The arrangement is such as to leave an open-ended pocket 23 exthe heading section I I being shirred together into a plurality of preferably closely spaced,-substantially vertical folds 25, the said lines of stitching 24 maintaining the double layer of said backing and heading in said shirred condition. The upper portion 26 of the body section I2 of the curtain panel [0 and the upper portion 21 of the lower skirt it are secured together at the lowermost line of 'stitching'zda. and they are serves as a fracturing of said stitching.

' with closely spaced folds,

folded together at intervals greater than the intervals between the points defining the said folds 25. In other words, the folds 28 that are thus formed in both the body portion 12 of the curtain and the said skirt l6 are, in the preferred form illustrated, considerably wider than the said folds 25, said folds 28 being formed at separated points such as 29, 30 and 3| on lowermost line of stitching 24a. said'points being spaced at intervals formed by more than one of the folds 25. For example (Fig. 2), the points 29 and 3t defining the fold 28a in the body of the curtain are separated by folds 25a of the said heading section. The arrangement is whereas there are a plurality of closely spaced folds in the double layer of heading section H and upper portion l5 of the backing, to produce a shirred effect, relatively larger folds are formed in the body portion l2 of the curtain panel, such larger folds beginning substantially at the level of lowermost line of stitching 24a. The skirt It a backing for the folded portions at the top of body portion l2, whereby the folds are relatively stiif at such-region and gradually extend downwardly in comparatively straight and uniform fold formations. Since the lowermost edge lfiaof theskirt- I6 is not attached to the body of the curtain, there is no interference with the continuity of said fold formations.

It i'stobe noted-that the said rear strip 18, being preferably inelastic, serves as restraining means for holding the shirred arrangeinentof the heading section and backing against being pulled flat by an accidentarlateral outward pull. In other wordsjshould a pull be inadvertently applied to increase the tension in the stitching 24, the said strip J8 will resist such pulland prevent At the same time, the pocket formedby said rear strip It'permits the entry therein of a conventional curtain rod.

In the form illustrated, the front curtain panel Ill alsocontains a top portion l3 which is attached to the upper skirtll at theuppermost line of stitching Zfi'b. Thearrangement'is hence such that a plurality of substantially vertical folds 32 are formed at the lower portion ofsaid top portion I3 andskirt I'Lsuch folds being also spaced at intervals greater thanthose of the folds 25. The backing action of upper skirt ll of the backing, sheet I l creates a stiffening of the fold portions St-thereby enabling such folded portions to continue upwardly along of the curtain, in-the manner aforesaid.

From the foregoing description, it will be observed that thelcurta-in construction of -my invention comprises a front curtain panel having several sections, to wit, the heading section II the body section [2 with relatively widely spacedfolds, and thetop section E3 with similarly widely-spaced folds. The respective lower-and upper skirtsl 6 and ll of the backing sheet l4 serve as stiffening means to maintain the folds iiiand 32 in theirfolded positions at thesai'dlines of stitching 24a and 24b, thereby preventing anyflbreak' in the continuity of said fold formations, and accordingly enhancing the generalappearance'of the curtain. The upper. portion 115 of, the backing sheet l 4 serves the purpose of giving, rigidity to the heading .section il, thereby also helping to maintain the shirred'ieifecti of said fheading section. And. the rear strip lS reinforcesfthe double layer of heading section and backing sheet,,and'serves,.not only to hold the saiddouble layeragainst being flattened out by an inadvertent outward pull, but

hence suchthat also serves as a pocket for a conventional curtain rod.

In the said curtain construction of my invention, the attractively shirred heading section II may at all times be maintained in its fully extended position on a curtain rod, and the body section I 2 of the curtain will nevertheless be folded into attractive substantially vertical fold formations. In other words, there is no need, as

in conventional curtains, to draw back the heading section ll to contract the curtain, and thereafter carefully to manipulate the independent sections thereof, in order to form fold formations inthe. body of the curtain. These fold forma- *tions,in the structure of my invention, are part of the finished curtain construction, in accordance with a predetermined spacing thereof, and

the said top portion l3 no manipulation whatsoever is required in order to produce the desired folds extending down-' wardly along the length of the curtain. It is also apparentthat my curtain above-described is made by conventional stitching and folding means, and hence can readily be produced ona mass production basis.

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by way of example and in preferred manner; but obviously many'variations and modifications may be made therein. It is to be understod, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or manner of practicing same, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Iclaim: 1

1. In a curtain construction, a front. curtain panel having a heading section and a body section therebelow, and a backing sheet; said backing sheet having an upper portion thereof disposed against said heading section-and a skirt extending therebelow and adjacent the upper portion of the said body section adjoining the heading section,the heading section and the said upper portion of the backing sheet being shirred together into a plurality of substantially vertical folds, the said upper portion of the body section and the said skirt being folded at intervals greater than the intervals between the said folds in said heading section. 7 n

2. In a curtain construction, a front curtain panel having a heading section'and a body section therebelow, and a backing sheet; said backing sheethaving anupper portion thereof disposed against said heading section and secured thereto by a plurality of substantially horizontal lines of stitches, the sheet also having a skirt extending below the lowermost of said lines, the heading section and the said upper por-tionof the backing sheet being shirred together into aplurality of substantially vertical folds, the upper portion of the body sectionand the upper portion of said skirt being secured together at said lower- .most line of stitching into a plurality of substantially vertical folds. y, 1 p

3. In a curtain construction, a front curtain panel having a heading section anda body section therebelow, a backing sheet and a strip of sheet material attached to said backing sheet; said backing sheet. having an upper portion thereof disposed against the back of said heading section and a skirt extending therebelow and sheet, whereby an open-ended pocket is formed adapted to receive a curtain rod.

4. In a curtain construction, a front curtain panel having a heading section and a body section therebelow, a backing sheet and a strip of sheet material attached to said backing sheet; said backing sheet having an upper portion theerof disposed against said heading section and secured thereto by a plurality of substantially horizontal lines of stitches, the sheet also having a skirt extending below the lowermost of said lines, the heading section and the said upper portion of the backing sheet being shirred together into a plurality of substantially vertical folds, the upper portion of the body section and the upper portion of said skirt being secured together at said lowermost line of stitching into a plurality of substantially vertical folds, said intervals being defined by points separated by a plurality of the said vertical folds of said heading section and backing sheet, and means for securing said strip to said backing sheet and heading section along two spaced parallel lines extending substantially along the entire length of said backing sheet, whereby an openended pocket is formed adapted to receive a curtain rod, said strip being of inelastic material, whereby it serves as restraining means against a flattening out of said shirred-together heading section and backing sheet.

5. A curtain construction comprising a front curtain panel having a heading section, a body section therebelow and a top section thereabove, a backing sheet and a strip of sheet material attached to said backing sheet; said backing sheet having an upper-portion thereof disposed against the back of said heading section, and an upper and a lower skirt extending above and below said heading section, the heading section and the said upper portion of the backing sheet being shirred together into a plurality of substantially vertical folds, the portions of the said body section above and below said heading section being attached to portions of the said upper and lower skirts and formed with said skirts into a plurality of substantially vertical folds, and securing means attaching said strip to said backing sheet along two spaced lines and along substantially the entire length of said backing sheet, whereby an open-ended pocket is formed adapted to receive a curtain rod.

6. A curtain'construction comprising a front curtain panel having a heading section and a body section therebelow, a backing sheet of relatively stiif material confronting said heading section and having a depending skirt confronting the upper portion cf said body section, said heading section and said backing section being shirred together to form said heading section into a group of vertical folds respectively reinforced by the adjacent folds of said backing sheet, said skirt and upper portion of said body section being shirred together to form said body section into a further group of vertical folds reinforced at the upper ends thereof by the adjacent folds of said skirt, thereby causing said body section to be maintained in continuous and comparatively straight downwardly extending folds.

7. A curtain construction according to claim 6, including a top section extending upwardly from said heading section, and a top skirt extending upwardly from said backing sheet and confronting the lower portion of said top section, said top section and said top skirt being shirred together to form said top section into a group of vertical folds reinforced at the lower ends thereof by the adjacent folds of said top skirt, thereby causing said top section to be maintained in continuous and comparatively straight upwardly extending folds.

8. A curtain construction according to claim 6, further provided with a reinforcing strip superposed upon said backing sheet, and stitching means attaching said reinforcing strip to said shirred-together heading and backing sheets, whereby said sheets are restrained against being flattened out.

EDMOND P. BIXER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 38,289 Crosby Apr. 28, 1863 2,520,613 Robertson Aug. 29, 1950 

